Rail fastening arrangement for ties



Jan. 27, 19-70 w- Bux, JR v 3,491,941

RAIL FASTENING ARRANGEMENT FOR TIES Filed Feb. 19, 1968 Other purposes will appear United States Patent US. Cl. 238287 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention is directed to the provision of rail fastening means for securing track rails to ties. The structure is particularly adapted for use with pre-cast ties, but can be used with other types of tie. Basically, it includes a plate secured to the upper surface of a tie underlying a rail crossing the tie. The plate is reversible and may include a clamp receiving saddle which may abut or closely approach either side of a tie. Unitary securing means may be used to hold stops and shims, where shims are used, the securing means, for example, cap screws, passing through apertures in tabs at each side of the plate, and thus at each side of a rail overlying the plate. A clamp, secured to the rail base, seats in the saddle and holds the rail against longitudinal movement. A primary purpose is to hold the rail against longitudinal movement which may result from the action of trains moving over the track, or of the temperature-caused contractions or expansions of the rail itself.

The invention relates to an improvement in rail fastening arrangements which are particularly adapted for concreate ties but which, under some circumstances, may also be used on ties of wood or other suitable material.

One purpose is to provide a rail fastening device compatible with current standard concrete tie designs.

Another purpose is to provide for a rail supporting plate which may be used for all rail sections and which may be used to take a clampat either side of a tie, to pre' vent the necessity of righthand and lefthand plates.

Another purpose is to make a tie-rail fastening in which the fastening and tie act integrally.

Another purpose is to provide a securing means which can be adpated for rail bases of difierent vertical thickness.

Another purpose is to provide a structure in which, in

the tie and rail connections, all motion is taken by metalto-metal contact.

from time to time in the course of the specification andclaims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE '1 is a perspective view of a part of a tie with a rail receiving plate in position; I

FIGURE 2 is a similar view of a rail receiving plate adapted to receive arail clamp;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the structure of FIG- URE 2, illustrating a rail fastening arrangement'in position;

FIGURE 4 is a section on the line 4.4 of FIGURE.3;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a stop used in positioning a rail;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a shim which, if

' desired, may be used with the stop; and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a rail clamp, which may be'used with the plate shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to the dawings, 1 generally indicates a tie, which may be pre-cast of concrete and which is shown as having upwardly converging side faces 2 and a bottom face or surface 3. Positioned within the tie, and which 3,491,947 Patented Jan. 27, 1970 may be pre-cast with it, are inserts 4, of stainless steel or other suitable material, which, if desired, may be interiorly screw-threaded to receive securing means which may, for example, be constituted by cap screws 5. Positioned upon the upper surface of the tie I employ a tie plate, generally indicated as 6, and shown in detail in FIGURES 1 and 2. It has tabs 7 apertured, as at 8, to receive the cap screws 5. At one end of the plate of FIG- URE 2 is formed a stirrup, generally indicated as 9, and including side walls 9a and 9b connected by a bottom portion 9c. The wall 9a of the stirrup may abut or closely approach one of the sides faces 2 of the tie 1. As is clear from FIGURES 2 and 3, the plate 6 is reversible, and the plate of FIGURE 2 can be positioned with the stirnip 9 at either side of the tie to which the plate is applied. The inserts 4 are properly spaced to receive cap screws or other securing means passing through the tab apertures 8. For certain rail sizes or contours a distance of 7% inches between centers of the apertures is satisfactory, but it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited to the use of specific dimensions.

A rail such as is shown at 10 in FIGURE 2 is positioned across the ties and over the plates 6. The rail base 11 is positioned between the apertures 8, the width of the rail base being perceptibly less than 7% inches, if a 7% inch clearance between apertures is employed. The plate '6, in use, may be held down in position by suitable securing means, such as the cap screws, or the like, 5, which pass through the below described stops, or stops and shims. If it is desired to use shims, the section is as shown in FIGURE 4. The typical stop 15 includes a thickened portion 16 and a lip or flange 17. The lower inner surface of the enlarged portion 16-, as at 16a, is formed to abut an edge of the rail base 11. Note, as shown in FIGURE 4, that there is a substantial clearance between the overhanging lip 17 of the stop and the upper surface of the rail base 11. It is important that the rail be permitted to breathe in relation to the tie, and the proper clearance may be of the order of 7 of an inch. The plate may, for example, be 1 of an inch thick. These dimensions are given as examples, not as limitations. In the normal use of my invention one of the stops 15 is in the position in which it is shown in FIGURE 4, at each edge of the rail base 11, there being a pair of opposed stops for each plate 6, which permit a slight breathing or upand-down movement of the rail in relation to the tie, while holding the rails in proper gauge.

To hold the rail against endwise movement across the ties I may provide a clamp, shown at 20 in FIGURE 7, which has a limiting abutment 21 at one end and a rail base engaging spring bend at 22. It will be understood that in use the clamp 20 underlies the base 11 of the ra l, is held against endwise movement by the lug or abutment 21, and firmly grips one edge of the rail base 11 by its overlying spring portion 22. It will be understood that the clamp 20, as shown in FIGURE 3, enters the stirrup 9, of FIGURES 2 and 3, there being a reasonably close fit. Since the plate 6 is firmly held down by the cap screws or other securing means 5, and since the stop surfaces 16a abut each side of the rail base, and since the clamp 20 is firmly secured to the rail base 11 and is received in the stirrup 9 at the end of the plate 6, the rail is properly held, but is permitted to breathe.

If desired, the operator may employ one of the shims 25, of FIGURE 6, under each stop. These shims are apertured as at 26, in FIGURE 6, to permit the cap screw or other securing means to pass therethrough and to enter the insert 4-. An upwardly bent outer edge 27 of the shim embraces the outer face of the enlargement 16 of the stop 15, as shown in FIGURE 3. This upwardly bent edge engages tlte back face of the stop, and prevents the shim from turning underneath a rail. The shim may be used to increase the level of the lip 17 above the tie, to admit rail bases of greater thickness, or it may be used where the railroad wishes to employ pads between the upper surface of the plate 6 and the lower surface of the rail base 11. Such pads may be confined by the inner edge 25a of the shim 25. Under other conditions, the shims may be omitted.

It will be realized that whereas I have described a practical and operative device, nevertheless, many changes may be made in size, shape, number and disposition of parts Without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic rather than as limiting me to my specific detailed showing herein.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

The invention is effective to resist the longitudinal movement of a rail across the tie. This longitudinal movement may take place as a result of the action of the trains moving over the track. Or it may take place because of contractions or expansions of the rail itself in response to temperature changes.

There are already on the market pre-cast concrete ties having upper plane surfaces over which various securing means are positioned. These prevailingly have rail receiving surfaces which slant slightly inwardly. It may, for example, be a 1 in 40 slant. In the prior art, some users have employed a rubber patch of some sort to even out the load. They have also employed, for example, clips which pivot about their outer end and are positioned with their inner ends downwardly above the rail base. They may employ a loading stud or cap screw, with some kind of limiting flange extending downwardly to keep the rail in proper gauge. A ball-type socket may be employed. The bottom of the gauging projection does not contact the concrete. This involves the disadvantage of having a loading on the cap screw or other securing means. Furthermore, when the rail Wishes to breathe in relation to the tie as the train goes. over it a double loading may take place, and the cap screws or securing means may be broken off. In my invention I provide a structure which properly gauges the rail while permitting the rail to breathe, and while preventing any overload on the securing means for the rail.

The stops are effective for gauge adjustment. In current practice most concrete ties are so cast that the center-to-center dimension of cap screw inserts is 7% inches. Its rail sections have different base widths and different head widths. This causes considerable variation in the distance, when the rail is in place in the track, between the inside edge of the rail base and the inside of the rail head. This dimension definitely affects the track gauge. Stops will have to be made for different rail sections, with one type being an inside stop and the other being an outside stop. With the universal dimension of 7% inches between the cap screw sections gauge can be adjusted correctly by varying the dimensions of the face of a stop in contact with the edge of the rail base 16:! and the center line of the hole for the cap screws. Thus a 6-inch rail base would have a different dimension of both the inside stop and the outside stop than would a -inch rail base. The plate may be universal for all rail sections, and the ties with inserts would be universal for all rail sections. The clamp, inside stop, outside stop, inside shim, and outside shim, would have to vary according to rail sections.

Where a single standard plate is employed, the stops may be inside or outside because of both the cant of the tie surface and the hole position. However, this may not always be practical or desirable. Since the rails to be placed on the concrete ties may be of varying section, provision must be made to place the two rails at proper gauge, as above pointed out. This might be done by castnig the inserts into the concrete ties according to the dimensions of the rail to be used with them, but this may create a distribution problem for maintaining concrete ties, and may complicate the casting procedure used in making the ties. Because of this complication the ties are preferably cast with inserts in definite locations, and the fastenings used must vary with the rail section. By the present invention the variation can be taken care of in the clamps, stops and shims. It is possible to have inside and outside stops and shims for different rail sections, the difference being the distance from the center line of the hole through which the cap screw is applied to the surface of the stop or shim that contacts the edge of the rail base. For example, in replacing rail with new rail of heavier section the plate could be retained, but new shims and stops could be used to take care of the gauge correction necessary, and 'ariew clamp for the base of the new rail would be provided.

I provide a plate which can be used with any preformed concrete tie now on the market, and which could also be employed with plane-surfaced concrete ties from which the slight upper surface depressions now used are omitted. A certain saving in material is thus provided and a simplification of the tie structure used. It will be understood that in the pre-cast ties proper inserts, for example, of stainless steel, may be cast in the tie at a proper'distance to receive the plates 6. The operator can either employ or omit a pad between the upper surface of the plate 6 and the lower surface of the rail base. Such pad may be of rubber-like material. Where such a pad is used, the shim 25 may be used. It is also possible, if desired, to coat the lower surface of the plate 6 with a suitable plastic, in order to engage and adapt to the upper surface of the concrete tie, and to iron out any minor irregularities. Whereas my invention may be applied to concrete ties, it will be understood that the same structure may be employed with wood ties. In that event, the inserts 4 need not be employed, and any suitable screw or securing means can be used, directly entering the wood of the tie. Likewise, if my device is to be used with wood ties the tabs 7 may be laterally enlarged or suitably formed to take spikes or other tie-engaging means.

An advantage of my structure is that the concrete of the tie is protected from the constant patting movement of the rail base up and down on it, whatever contact there may be being taken up by the plate 6, which is firmly fixed to the .tie by means of the connectors or cap screws 5, and which, therefore, completely protects the concrete surface. The plate may constitute a rectangle which may be of the order of six inches wide, with a length to go across a nine-inch tie width, plus an additional length which may be bent to form the stirrup 9, when the stirrup is used. The stops 15 may be formed of a rolled section shaped to provide the extending flange 17 which projects over the rail base, providing, for ex ample, an approximately fi -inch clearance to permit the necessary breathing of the rail as the rolling stock goes over it. The vertical side 16a of the stop acts like a tie plate shoulder, to hold the rail to proper gauge.

The upper surfaces of present types of concrete ties are, in practice, sloped at 1 in 40, in the rail seat area. The inserts for the cap screws are placed vertically to the horizontal surface of the base of the tie, and are not perpendicular to the canted area. The top surface of the stop can be made to accommodate this slope and to provide a snug contact for the head of the cap screw or other securing means used.

The stirrup 9 is formed to provide a fairly tight fit between its vertical sides and the clamp 20. The stirrup is positioned, with respect to the hole for the cap screws, to provide that the vertical bend nearest the tie will clear the sloped tie side, as shown in FIGURE 2.

The shims, when used, are preferably of the same length as the stops 15. As above mentioned, the shims may be used to bound and confine a tie pad between the rail base and the plate, which may be of some sort of hard rubber or plastic. When the shim is SO employed it can be made of the same thickness as the tie pad, permitting a solid fastening of stop, shim, plate and tie. Under some circumstances, the tie pad could be wider than the suggested six-inch width of the plate 6. In that event, the tie pad preferably has a notch cut in it to mate with the shim and stop, thereby holding the tie pad in position on the plate. As earlier mentioned, the shims may be used to accommodate various rail base thicknesses, although a single standard thickness of the stop may solve most situations.

Apart from the general simplicity, there are a number of advantages to my invention. It may not be necessary to have right-hand or left-hand plates. The plate can be turned in either direction. It is unnecessary to recess a tie plate seat in the concrete tie surface, as is currently necessary. In my design the only force that the cap screw must take is the vertical force necessary to hold together stop, shim, plate and tie, and the sheer forces transmitted by the clamp plate and stirrup. If the rail is to be renewed, which usually means going to a heavier rail section, with a larger rail base, the plates can still be used. All that would have to be changed would be the stops, shims and clamps.

Above all, I completely avoid all of the problems rising from the employment of a spring clip, which is a current means for pressing down on the rail base in the attachments currently used to secure rails to concrete ties. Having a spring clip apply a yielding downthrust to the top of the rail base is highly impractical, and makes it exceedingly hard to keep the cap screw or other securing means tight. The constant flexing of the spring clip subjects the cap screw to an upward force which tends to crack the concrete tie around the insert, and even to pull the insert and surrounding concrete out of the tie. My clamps 20 put no pressure on the cap screws.

As will appear from the drawings, I may employ the plate of FIGURE 1 without the clamp receiving stirrup, or the plate of FIGURES 2 and 3 with the clamp receiving stirrup. It is not necessary to use the clamp with every plate, or on every tie, and it is therefore a saving to have the simpler plate, without the clamp, as shown in FIG- URE 1, for use where desired.

I claim:

1. In a rail fastening assembly for railroad ties and the like, the rail fastening assembly comprising in combination,

a plate adapted abut and to be fixedly secured to the upper surface of a tie, said plate having tabs extending outwardly from each side of the plate along the tie and at each side of the rail base, said ties being apertured to receive rail securing means penetrating the upper surface of the tie, and

a stop for each tab, each such stop having a surface formed and adapted to abut the edge of the rail base and having a flanged position to overhang such rail base, said stops being apertured in line with the tab apertures, whereby a securing means may be inserted effective to hold the stops downwardly against the tabs and at the same time to hold the plate fixedly against the upper surface of the tie, with the stops abuting the edges of the rail base and overhanging and spaced upwardly from the upper side of the rail base.

2. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that the plate has a unitary stirrup formed and adapted to approach but to clear one side of the tie at a level below the rail base, said stirrup being formed and adapted to receive a clamp secured to and extending beneath the rail base.

3. The structure of claim 1 characterized by and including a stop for each tab, each such stop having a surface formed and adapted to abut the edge of the rail base and having a flange positioned to overhang such rail base, said stops being apertured in line with the tab apertures, whereby a securing means may be inserted effective to hold the stops downwardly against the tabs and at the same time to hold the plate fixedly against the upper surface of the tie, with the stops abutting the edges of the rail base and overhanging and spaced upwardly from the upper side of the rail base, and further characterized by the provision of a shim formed and adapted to extend beneath each stop, the outer edges of each shim having a portion extending upwardly against the outer face of the stop, each shim being apertured in line with the apertures of stop and plate tab, whereby to constitute part of an abutting means unitarily secured to the tie.

4. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that the plate has a unitary stirrup formed and adapted to approach but to clear one side of the tie at a level below the rail base, said stirrup being formed and adapted to receive a clamp secured to and extending beneath the rail base, and further characterized by and including a clamp having a portion adapted to abut the bottom of the rail base, an upwardly extending portion at one end adapted to engage one side of the rail base, and a locking portion at the opposite end adapted to extend upwardly about and to direct pressure against the opposite side of the rail base, said clamp being seated in the stirrup.

5. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that inserts are pre-cast, at a distance apart, in a concrete tie, appropriate for the rail section used, said inserts and said tabs having aligned apertures adapted to receive securing means penetrating the upper surface of the tie, with said securing means being separated by a distance appropriate for such rail section.

6. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that inserts are pre-cast, at a distance apart, in a concrete tie, appropriate for the rail section used, said inserts and said tabs having aligned apertures adapted to receive securing means penetrating the upper surface of the tie, with said securing means being separated by a distance appropriate for such rail section, there being a replaceable stop for each tab, said stop being removably secured to the tab and having a surface formed and adapted to abut the edge of the base of a rail, and having a flange positioned to overhang such rail base, said stops being apertured in line with the tab apertures, whereby a securing means may be inserted effective to hold the stops downwardly against the tabs and at the same time to hold the plate fixedly against the upper surface of the tie, with the stops abutting the edges of the rail base and overhanging and spaced r upwardly from the upper side of the rail base.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,552,602 9/1925 Griffith 238-304 1,720,578 7/ 1929 Surprenant et a1 238-304 2,294,987 9/ 1942 Johnson 238-287 2,410,260 10/ 1946 Boland 238-315 2,421,602 6/1947 Dooling 238-283 3,351,283 11/ 1967 Paasche et al 238-283 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner R. A. BERTSCH, Assistant Examiner 

